“I’ve been digging a hole, being negative all the time. I just need to keep positive. It’s good that the team is winning.”

Huberdeau, goalless in his last 14 games, had a rough outing against New York, taking a pair of penalties and turning over a puck that led to Thomas Vanek‘s third-period marker.

The 20-year-old center is suffering through a sophomore slump, and his production has fallen off considerably. He won the Calder on the strength of 31 points through the lockout-shortened ’13 campaign but, with just 17 points through 44 games this year, is on pace for 31 again this season — over an 82-game schedule, not 48.

Horachek said the only way Huberdeau was going to see more minutes was through added effort.

“[Huberdeau’s] time is earned, right now he’s going through a tough time,” he explained. “We’re asking him to work harder because he’s feeling the pressure of not scoring.”